What is your summer refuge?
I’m fortunate enough to spend time at a house in Corsica and, more recently, aboard a small sailboat in Brittany — a beautiful Écume de Mer.
Do you return every year, or do you prefer to seek out new horizons?
I do. I love returning to places I know: the familiar objects, the scents, the atmosphere.
What object never leaves your suitcase?
A notebook and a pencil.
What is the most beautiful hotel you’ve ever stayed in?
Le Couvent de la Tourette. It’s not really a hotel, but you can stay there and immerse yourself in the powerful architecture of Le Corbusier — especially the chapel, which is nothing but space and silence.
Which house would you dream of living in for the month of August?
The home of Charles and Ray Eames in Pacific Palisades. I visited it recently, and the interior has remained exactly as it was, preserving all the bohemian, cultured spirit of 1950s and ’60s California.
What book would you recommend this summer?
Tamata and the Alliance by Bernard Moitessier, which recounts the extraordinary life and adventures of the legendary sailor.
What music is the soundtrack to your summer?
This summer, perhaps Tom Misch, an English musician I recently discovered.
Which restaurant would you happily plan an entire trip around?
Under, the restaurant in Norway designed by Snøhetta, which quite literally disappears beneath the sea.
What does a perfect summer afternoon look like to you?
Reading in the shade of a pine grove, with family or friends.
What is the most elegant gesture of hospitality you’ve ever experienced?
The absence of any gesture at all — leaving you the freedom to settle in naturally, absorb the atmosphere, and truly make the place your own.
Which scent instantly reminds you of the holidays?
The sun-baked maquis.
What landscape would you like to wake up to every morning for the rest of your life?
The sea in Brittany. It’s constantly changing, so you could never tire of it.
